Apparatus for transmitting half-tone pictures.



H. GAR BONNELLE. APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING HALF TONE PICTURES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR.1 3, 1907. 1 1 1,003,429. Patented Sept. 19,1911.

2 SHBETSSHEET 11 wnw 1255125;

IN V ELNTOR, HENm CARBQNN ELLE, we.

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H. GARBONNELLB. APPARATUS OR TRANSMITTING HALF TONE PICTURES. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 13, 1907.-

2 SHEETSSHBET 2 INVENTOR; HENRI C RBQNNELLE,

Attorne g.

wwwassfis,

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRI CARBONNELLE, OF UCCLE, NEAR BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

APPARATUS FOR TRANSMITTING HALF TONlE PICTURES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRI CARBONNl-ILLE, engineer, a subject of the Belgian King, and residing at Uccle, near Brussels, in the Kingdom of Belgium. have invented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Tlransmitting Halt-Tone Pictures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to a process and ap paratus for reproducing at a distance photographs, and the like.

This process consists in principle in the use as a transmitter of a movable or rotatable cylindrical surface made of some 1na terial which is a conductor of electricity, to which is applied the plate to be transmitted, made of non-conducting material, such as gelatin, collodion, ink, etc., the said plate moving under a needle which forms a portion of an ordinary telegraphic circuit, or conversely The telegraphic circuit connections are shown in the annexed drawing by the positive and negative conductors, see Figures 1, 2, 3, at and (3. The words nonconducting material. here used, and the words non-conducting material throughout the specification, in their ordinary electrical sense, viz: poorly conductive, since it is well known that the terms are entirely relative, no such things as noirconductors existing.

Every time that the needle in question meets a point covered with material of different conductivity, the intensity of the cur- .rent changes for a period of time in proportion to the length of the said contact, and the said modification of current is transmitted by the line circuit: to the receiver which can be identical. with the transmitter except that the needle ot the latter is re- In the said process, the difi erences in the.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 13, 1907.

- oi the picture.

the thickness of its different points.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 362,114.

thickness of the layer of gelatin, collodion, etc. of the photographic plate (in the case of-the transmission of a photograph) play the part of microphonic contacts which faithfully reproduce the half tones of the original. In fact, the pictures or photographs with salts of silver, platinum, etc. formed on or in the body of the layers or supports of gelatin, collodion or other similar mass, are produced, as is well known, by a more or less uniform distrihution of the said salt-s reduced to metallic state by the action of light. The layer retaining the said metal dust forming the picture has however a'practically uniform thickness, and consequently a practically constant electrical resistance at all the points in the direction perpendicular of its thickness. But the more or less great proportion of: metal retained by the layer of gelatin etc. for forming the picture modifies the said resistance by reducing it more or less according to the proportions of metal which constitute the different points of the picture. If, therefore, the latter is printed or transferred to a surface conducting electricity, each point of the layer of gelatin etc, in the direction of thickness, on passing under the point of the needle or stylus of the transmitter hereinbetore referred to, will vary the resistance of the circuit to a. more or less great extent. The effects produced on the armature of the receiver will,,therefore, be similar to those produced by a microphone, and the en gravefs point of the receiver will penetrate to a greater or less depth into the layer to be, engraved according to the resistance of the point which moves under the needle of the transmitter. In this way the receiver faithfully reproduces the original image with. all its details.

\Vhen .the negative or plate block in the transmitter is constituted by a so-called carbon photograph the present process utilizes the fact that the layer retaining the pigmentary products, is more or less thick at the difi'crent points of its surface, practically in proportion to the shades and lights It follows therefrom, from the electrical point'ot view, that the resist ances in the layer differ in accordance with These resistances influence the current transmitted by the circuit to the point or s'ylus of the receiver which will engrave in the receiver layer or surface points of depths corre sponding to the reli and intaglios of the original. of thniitter for a more or less long time according to the tonality of the original picture. In this case, the transmission can be eliected with a plate 'photo-engraved on a suitable surface, or with a copy printed from the said plate. Nevertheless, in order to avoid the work of photo-engraving, it is more simple to print an image or copy grained or striped by photo-printing or photolithographic means or by other ordinary processes.

For the transmission of writing or drawings. the process can be carried in several Ways. It is possible to write or draw direct on a conducting surface metal sheet by means of a non-conducting ink, or it is possible to write or draw on lithographic transfer paper and to transfer on to a metal or conducting sheet. The latter is then provided with the original reversed and the engraving received at the receiver can serve directly for printing" numerous copies of the message received. If the original writing etc. isnotreversed at'sending off, it is suilicicntto advance the receiver in the oppositedirection to the transmitter in order to obtain in the former an engraving capable of being; used directly for printing.

The halt-tones of the picture can be produced at the receiver in several ways: ether on layer of any suitable material by hollows in proportion, or in .inverse proport on, to the lights by the means already indicated: or on a layer of material by hollows of the depth but of diilerent suror on layer or surface covered with a second layer of comparatively small thiclr ness, of which the tonality is removed by the point or stylus of the receiver for forming the hollows or the contrasts. If this second layer is more or less transparent accordin zito its thic@css,it can also be more or less completely removed, in proportion to the shades of the original image.

As original may be used a tin foil on which the engraving photograph etc. has been printed, written, drawn etc. with prinhifls ink. tin foil is then stuck to a sheet paper which renders it ne'er. The tin foil is a conductor, While gc printed with printers ink forms condo fling; w

iittention is called to the fact that the ink transmits some current dependin upon its composition, thickness-as applie and voltage of current used For receiving; an image direct on White paper, whitepaper covered With carbon.

paper may be placed on the receiver cyl lnder, the rounded/off or blunted pin or stylus oi the telephone vibrating against the said. carbon paper. This is'iinportant etc, the present process enables 300,000 to 4.00900 letters to be transmitted per hour, according to the state or the circuits.

The dillerent apparatus can be mounted in duplex as the majority of ordinary telegraphic apparatus.

The apparatus, which can be used for carrying out the hereinbefore described tcle-printing or aisle-engraving process, can" be or. various shapes and constructions.

The accompanying drawing shows, oy way of example, one construction of an apparatus which can he indilferently used as a transmitter or as a receiver Fig. 1 is a plan, F 2 a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a right hand side elevation, and Fig. 4 is a left hand side elevation of the appars i s. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the disl 'with elastic needle used for transmission. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a verticalsection and a bottom 4 iew ot' the telephone cup with engraving point or stylus used. for receiving.

The apparatus comprises three frame pieces 1, 2, 3 oi. any suitable shape,.connected by two horizontal. rods 4, 5 and secured in suitable manner to a base plate 6. The sides 1', 2, 3 support a screwthreaded spindle 7 secured to the axle, 8 of thesupporting cylinder 9, the end'of which spindle rotates, for instance, on a cone or conical point 10, the end of the axle rotating on another cone 11. secured to a movable support 12 which may be a portion of the frame 3, and which can be, for instance, turned down on the hinges 13 (see arrow 14- in Figs. l and 2) in order to enable the rolls or cylinders with the block to be transmitted or received to be easily put in place or removed. The screw-threaded spindle is provided with suitable pulley 15 which is driven by a suitable electric motor (not shown in the drawing) or any other motor generally used in telegraphy. With the said screw-threaded spindle 7 engages a sliding nut 16 carried by a spring; blade 17 secured to a ring 18 movable on the rod el and secured by means of a bar 19 to a second ring .50, also capable of sliding on the said igrod 4, This second ring 20 is in one piece with a bracket 21 secured to a ring 22 which carries a rigid arm 23 through which passes a set screw 24:, the blunted end of which can slide on vthe rod 5 when the apparatus is started.

The apparatus above described can be used indifferently as a transmitter or as a receiver. For the transmission of a message, photographic negative, writing, printing, etc, the plate to be transmitted is rolled or slid on the supporting cylinder 9, and se cured to .it in any suitable manner. To the ring 22 is then securcdthe' rigid disk (Fig.5) which carries on its under surface the elastic needlc :26 serving to indicate the nOII-CODdUCllIlg portions of the original plate and thusto produce the interruptions or the variations of the electric current. The latter are transmitted by the circuit to the receiver constituted by an identical apparatus, of which thesupporting-cylinder 9, however, is provided with the surface or layer intended tobe engraved, and of which the ring 22 carries atelephonic cup 27 (Figs. 6 and 7), of which the vibrating diaphragm is provided in the center with an engraving point or stylus 29,. The ring 22 of either the transmitter or the receiving apparatus is. adapted to interchangeably receive either disk or the cup 2?. To prevent vibrations of the latter in the direction of the arrows 30 (Figs. 6 and 7), the cup 27 is provided with an elastic blade 31 secured at a small distance below the diaphragm 28 and having its free end provided with a small hole which surrounds the point of the said engraving pin or stylusfll). It will thus be seen that in order to transtornnthe transmitter into receiver, it is merely necessary to replace the. nccdle disk 25 by the telephone cup, and to secure a receiving surface to the cylinder 9.

it is evident: thiit, as soon as the pulley 15 of the screw-threaded spindle is started, and the nut 16 engages with the screw-thread of thcs'aid spindle, the rings 18 and 20 will slide on the rod l in the direction of arrows 32 carrying with them the ring, 22 with the tracer to travel relativ to be transmitted or of the receiving surface to be engraved, as is the case in the majority of phonographs.

lt will be seen from the preceding that the apparatus is based on the principle of the screw-cutting and boring lathe, enabling the advance of the tool to be reversed without changii'ig the direction of rotation of the cylinder 9.

The apparatus hereinbeforc described. may also be used in local circuit for obtaining in a more advantageous and quick manner than by the usual processes, plates similar to those obtained by plioto-engravingg (that is to say for printing on wall paper, fabrics, etc.) Moreover, the receiver of the apparatus described registers speaking at a distance on surfaces or cylinders siinilarto those used in the various phonographs.

The transmission can be cttected-tlly speaking direct in front of a. n'iicrophone connected to the said receiver. 2. By using}; a phonographic record to which is added a microphonic contact, this system serving to follow the tracing of cylinders previously provided With record in the usual manner. 3. The transmitter station is similar to the receiver station, but the engraving point se cured to the diaphragm of the receiver replaced at the transmitter by a blunt point which follows the-tracing of the ordinary phonographic record-cylinders or surfaces, and the mechanical action generates magneto-electric currents.

Having now fully described my invention, what, I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is 1. An apparatus for transn'iit'tihg to a. distance halt-tone pictures, silver photos and the like, said apparatus comprising; an electrically conductive support adapted to receive, in electrical contact therewith, an electrically conductive plate of varying con-- ductivity; a tracer; means for causing said said plate over the surface thereof and in constantelectrical contact therewith; andelectri'al conductors connected to said support and said tracer respectivcly,, said conductors, support, plate and tracer being; adapted for connection in series in a circuit leading to receiving apparatus.

2. An apparatus for transmitting to a distance half-tone pictures, silver photos ill l l-Ii and the like, said apparatus comprising an 320 relatively to each other for causing said tracer to travel over said plate in electrical contact therewith; and conductors electrically connected respectively with said sup- In testimony whereof I have signed my par and s ald supportmg-arm, sald conducname to thls speclficzetlon 1n the presence 0% tors, support,' plate, tracer and supporting two subscrlblng Wlinesses.

LLIIII being adapted for connection, in senes, HENRI CARBUNNELLE. 1n 2 ClI'OlllQ sald suppo'rtmg arm belng W1tnesses: adapted to recelve thereon elther sznd tracer CHARLES HONOLD GREGORY PEEL m 0: a receiving device. 

